FG To Pay MDAs’ 78.7bn Naira Electricity Debts

The Federal Government has promised to pay the N78.7 billion electricity debts owed distribution companies by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government before the end of the year.

In what appeared to be leading by example to ensure transformation of the power sector, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, announced that the military was already making plans to pay its debts.

He made the promise on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital at a town hall forum organised by the Kukah Centre, to create dialogue between policy makers and Nigerians for greater citizens’ participation in governance.

The Minister also spoke on mass housing across the country, which he said would only be possible through the standardisation of mass housing projects.

He disclosed that government was developing a ‘National Housing Policy’ that would address all issues across states.

In his remarks, the Patron of the centre, Bishop Matthew Kukah, stressed the need for such dialogues, considering the magnitude of issues that needed to be resolved in many sectors of the economy.

Other components of the forum, which is expected to hold monthly, include policy round table and discussions from both sides of the government aimed at fixing Nigeria in the long term.